Selebi, NPA concerns valid
2008-02-08 11:54
Cape Town - It would be "irresponsible" to ignore concerns about the prosecution of national police Commissioner Jackie Selebi and the suspension of the National Director of Public Prosecutions, President Thabo Mbeki said in his State of the Nation address on Friday.
This included fears about a threat to the independence of the judiciary and rule of law and the "attendant allegations" about the abuse of state power for political purposes, he said in Parliament.
"Most obviously it would be irresponsible to ignore these and other concerns or dismiss them as mere Jeremiads typical of the prophets of doom."
He said MPs and "many in our society" were worried about whether the burning of trains in Pretoria in January meant the country was threatened with anarchy.
He included fears about the electricity crisis, the rise in interest rates and threats of a recession in the USA and said the "real challenge" lay in responding to these matters in a positive way.
This should send the message that "we remain firm in our resolve to continue building the kind of South Africa that has given hope not only to our people, but also to many others outside the borders".
"Like all the Honourable Members, I am aware of the fact that many in our society are troubled by a deep sense of unease about where our country will be tomorrow."
Mbeki called for the nation to strain "every sinew of its collective body" to deal with such challenges.
- SAPA